You're Not Alone
by Anastasia1043
Summary: Tumblr prompt from anon: Can you do one where it continues after Rae pulls her hand away from Finn? [Summary may be familiar, I did the wrong story for the prompt previously. This is new.]


Title is Of Mice & Men song "You're Not Alone."

I hate how much Izzy is portrayed as stupid by the show itself (for example, in Rae's Diary on the e4 website). So, I made her... not.

* * *

This was it. Rae's first day of college. She walked with Chop, Izzy, Chloe, and Finn. In fact, her and Finn were holding hands as they walked. She was nervous, this is the first time being back to school after leaving mid-term last year because she was admitted to the mental home. Who's she kidding? She was fucking bricking it.

But this is supposed to be different. People are more mature. There isn't going to be any shoving her into the lockers, they wouldn't bully her again…right? At least not when she had Finn by her side. He'd scare off any people trying to mess with her. She smiled at him.

"Right, you lot ready?" Chop asked them as they walked towards the doors, his arm wrapped around Izzy's shoulders.

"Not really," Chloe said. "School's boring."

"No way! School's proper exciting, Chlo. Sure, homework isn't great but you get to learn so much!" Izzy was the only one looking forward to starting. She grinned at the building before her. "I'm excited for theatre this term! We're doing Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet! People are going to be amazed by Ginger Juliet!"

"Ginger Juliet?" Finn asked. "Have you even auditioned yet, Iz?" he laughed beside Rae at his friend's bubbliness.

"Well, no," Izzy responded rather sadly.

Rae elbowed and glowered at her boyfriend. "Of course you're going to get the part, Iz. You're brilliant. You really are a Drama Queen."

Izzy grinned again. "I actually prefer Empress, if you'd be so kind. I can rule so much more than just Shakespeare's kingdom that is Romeo & Juliet!"

Chop sent Rae a grateful smile to Rae over Izzy's head while Finn laughed and shook his head.

"As you wish, Empress," Finn said.

"Gotta learn what to say to girls, Finn," Rae said quietly as the others drifted off into their own conversation. "We're sensitive creatures, you know."

"Haven't I already told you I'm not good with words?" he pulled her arm towards him so she walked closer with him.

"Yes. You don't like talking either but let me tell you, you just can't shut up sometimes," Rae teased him.

"Shuddup," he smiled sheepishly.

"Oooh, broody Finn's coming out!" she laughed, poking him in the ribs causing him to squirm and laugh.

Off in their own little world, the two didn't notice the other three smiling at them.

"Aww, you two are so adorable together!" Izzy said.

Rae and Finn looked at each other and blushed, not responding. Rae, being distracted by Finn during the walk, didn't notice how close they were to the building until she nearly tripped up the steps.

"Whoa, there," Finn grabbed her arm to steady her. "All right?"

Rae couldn't speak and was shaking slightly. Finn turned to Chloe, Izzy, and Chop who looked on with concern. Well, Chloe rolled her eyes instead.

"Go ahead in, we'll meet you in a few," he said.

As they disappeared into the building Finn focused his attention on Rae.

"Rae, look at me." She did. "It's going to be fine, okay? This is college. It's different from before."

Rae nodded her head as if trying to convince herself. "Yeah… Yeah, sorry. I'm being stupid."

Finn smiled at her. "No, you're not. And it's fine, Rae. You ready?" he held out his hand to her.

She reached for it, giving him a smile back. "Let's do this!"

Her smile and faux-confidence dissipated as they walked through the double doors. They weren't far in when heads turned towards them, faces full of revulsion and incredulity. Why would the fittest guy in all of Lincolnshire be holding _her_ hand? It was then she realized the whole time she was so concerned with how people would perceive them together, she never thought about how Finn alone would be treated. Fuck. She can't do this.

She unclenched her fingers and pulled her hand out of his causing Finn to stop walking.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Fuck, he sounded hurt.

"Rae!" he called as she walked away.

_1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Breathe_, Rae, _breath_. Once out of sight she ran for it. A sign on the ceiling pointed towards restrooms but as she got closer a sign on the door read "Out of Order." _Fuck_! She spun around and noticed a door propped open and the lights off. Sighing in relief she ran to it, sticking her head in first she noticed there was nobody inside. She pushed the door open and slid in. Dropping her bag on the floor, she dramatically put her hands on the desk and bowed her head trying to steady her breathing.

_1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10._

She looked back at the door when she heard it squeak open.

Finn.

"I'm so sorry, Finn," she said. "I couldn't do it."

"It's fine, Rae," he said handing her a bottle of water. "What happened?"

He was concerned and she didn't deserve it.

"I can't do this, Finn."

"What do you mean? College?" he rubbed her back comfortingly.

She didn't deserve it though. She moved out of his reach and turned to him.

"I can't do this to you, Finn," she said looking him in the eyes.

"Do what to me?" he was confused.

"I can't put you through this. You don't deserve to catch shit from being with me. They'll call you names! They'll bully you! And you don't deserve that! You deserve so much more than that," she shouted.

Finn simply looked at her and cocked his head. "Do you really think I give a shit about what these pricks think about us, Rae? Do I need their approval to date the girl I've fancied since I met? Do you think them calling me names is going to deter me from you?" he was calm. Why was he calm? Why isn't he shouting too?

"I…"

He raised his eyebrows. "You what?"

"Why would someone want to put up with this?" she asked flabbergasted.

"Because the person in question thinks that you're worthy of fighting for," Finn said softly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't believe you," Rae said.

"You told me that once before," he grinned at her.

"Because you're an unbelievable person, Finn," she said teasingly, now grinning at him.

"Well," he started, uncrossing his arms, "it's about time someone noticed."

He began making his way over to where she was standing.

"Now, are we going to do this or what?" he asked.

"I just- I don't want you to have to go through this, Finn. It's not fair to you," she was being stubborn.

"Rae…" he raised his eyebrows again to show how serious he was being. "Shut the fuck up."

Rae gaped at him. "You cheeky sod!"

Rolling his eyes, he grabbed her by the waist, pulling her to him.

"Don't you think it's more unfair that I'd be unhappy because I couldn't be with you? I've been after you for a while, you know. Why let these tossers who, mind you, we'll never see ever again after these two years get to you? They aren't the ones who matter. Frankly, I'm more affected by the fact that my girlfriend is trying to break up with me because she's taking the easy way out; that she is giving up on us when we only just started because of people who don't matter."

"Finn…" Rae wraps her arms around his neck. "I'm so sorry."

"You're sorry because you were being a knob or sorry because you're going to continue being one?"

"I'm sorry that I was being a huge knob," she said begrudgingly.

"Damn right," Finn grinned pulling back from her. "That was the third option, wasn't it? Leaving me?"

She nodded.

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't make that mistake," he said causing Rae to roll her eyes.

"C'mon, we need to get you to class."

He unwrapped his arms from around her waist and grabbed her hand instead but Rae wouldn't budge.

"The football team'll give you shit," Rae said as Finn pulled her harder towards the door, "especially Dan."

"Yeah, well, Dan's a dickhead."


End file.
